GOVERNMENT-DONOR COORDINATION COMMITTEE (GDCC)

FIRST QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT
OF THE JOINT TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS
For the Period: December 2004- February 2005

This quarterly progress report from each Joint Technical Working Group is requested by the Secretariat of the Government-Donor Coordination Committee (GDCC) before 25 February 2005. It will be used to prepare a briefing note for the Second GDCC Meeting scheduled to be held on 7 March 2005. Please return the completed questionnaire to H.E. Chhieng Yanara at CDC in both soft and hard copy.

TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG): PAR/TWG

Did the TWG prepare its Terms of Reference? Yes þ No ¨
Did the TWG prepare an Action Plan? Yes ¨ No þ (if No, please continue to question 9)

If Yes: When was the Action Plan approved by the TWG? (date / month / year)

Since the 7th CG Meeting held in December 2004 how many times has the TWG met?
Is the scheduling of activities in the Action Plan done by month/quarter? Yes þ No ¨

If No, please go to Q8, but first please identify the methodology that is planned to be employed by the TWG to monitor and report on progress made: .............................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................

Please list below activities in the Action Plan that were scheduled to be implemented during the last quarter (December 2004 and February 2005).

Before the CG, a sub group of the TWG members together with the Chairman designed the TWG Terms of Reference and had agreed to the broad parameters of a plan of action. The first task was to agree on work program for 2005 that should support meeting the CG joint benchmarks and items relating to the Harmonization Action Plan. The sub group met twice during the first quarter to finalize the TWG action plan. It will be submitted to the full TWG at its March meeting for approval and action.

Which of the activities listed in question 5 are being implemented as scheduled?
Activity (please use the same number as shown in Q5)	Comments, if any

Please use an extra sheet if you need more space.

Please list the activities that are behind schedule, reasons for delay, and the TWG's recommendations for solving the problems.
Activity (please use the same number as shown in Q5)	Reasons for Delay	TWG's Recommendation

Please use an extra sheet if you need more space.

Please list below activities in the Action Plan that have been implemented during the last quarter (December 2004-February 2005).
Activity	Comments, if any

Please use an extra sheet if you need more space.

Is (are) there any Joint Monitoring Indicator(s) agreed at the 7^th CG Meeting held in December 2004 that fall within the mandate of this TWG? Yes þ No ¨ (please go to Q11)

If Yes, please list the indicators below:

1. Agreement on a strategy to phase out donor-funded salary supplementation and redirect them in support of pay reforms in priority areas by June 2005.
2. The Council of Ministers approve by November 2005 for implementation starting in 2007, a phased medium-term civil service remuneration plan to improve civil service pay selectively to appropriate level, that will allow the public administration to attract and retain talent. The plan shall be coherent among State institution, sustainable and consistent with the RGC approved Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
3. Pilot implementation of pay and employment reform initiatives – that are fully consistent with each other—and that reward performance and promote merit in a least three sectors or professional streams during 2006.
4. Gradual reduction of cash transactions in the payment of salaries through the use of the banking system and electronic transfers. Parameters and preparation of pilots for payments via electronic bank transfers completed by November 2005.
5. A meritocratic human resource policy with a detailed and sequenced implementation plan will be adopted by the Council of Ministers.

What progress has been made toward achieving the targets of the Joint Monitoring Indicator(s) listed in Q9 above? The action plan to be approved by the TWG in March will allow systematic progress towards achieving the joint benchmarks should necessary resources be mobilized in time. At the same meeting working arrangements for the TWG will also be finalized.
Joint Monitoring Indicator	Progress	Constraints	Recommendation

Please use an extra sheet if you need more space

Please list below activities in the Action Plan that are planned for the next quarter (March 2005-May 2005).

The work of the TWG during the next quarter will focus on the flowing:

achieving a broad understanding of the remuneration issue and the preparation of a discussion paper on options
drafting an action plan to phase out salary supplementation and to redirect related funds through such mechanisms as the PMG incl. MBPI etc.
completing work to identify options for employment reform and a better management of the establishment including best practices to reconfigure the Civil service.
following up on the study on capacity building practices by development partners and on the study by CDRI on management framework for capacity development.
Facilitate implementation of pay and employment reform initiatives that reward performance and promote merit such as the PMG incl. MBPI etc. in coordination with sector TWGs